This invention relates generally to vehicle passenger air bag systems and more particularly, to the mounting of a passenger side air bag cover for an inflatable air bag installed in a vehicle instrument panel.
An increasing number of passenger vehicles manufactured today are equipped with supplemental inflatable restraint systems for both the vehicle driver and front seat passenger commonly known as dual air bag systems. The passenger side air bag deploys through an opening in the instrument panel and is part of an assembly which includes an inflator and a reaction canister located in a recess in said instrument panel.
The instrument panel normally comprises a metal support structure covered by a panel comprising a rigid substrate on which is mounted a resilient foam pad having a flexible plastic decorative outer skin covering. The instrument panel support mounts the air bag assembly in the recess and incorporates a cover door which closes the deployment opening.
This cover door is a separate rectangular panel that is flush mounted in a rectangular opening in the surrounding panel area so that it can be opened and completely removed by the deploying air bag upon inflation. This type of door is usually attached to the instrument panel at its forward edge by a hinge or by a tether to cause the door to swing open about this attachment out of the path of the deploying air bag.
It is essential that this type of door be releasably installed in the panel opening so that it completely separates and moves out of the way of the deploying air bag. However, the door must remain attached to the instrument panel upon opening so that it does not become a hazard to occupant safety. A technique for fixing an air bag cover for a passenger side air bag of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,421 to Catron et al.
It is desirable that the door be releasably secured by retaining means which exert a force that is sufficiently great to resist the door being prematurely opened so that the integrity of the air bag installation is preserved. This force must also be sufficiently small to assure that the door is released by the deploying air bag.
It is also desirable that the door be maintained releasably installed by retaining means which reliably remain attached to the instrument panel upon opening. It is important that the retaining means do not become detached during air bag deployment or encroach upon the path of the air bag as it deploys.